Editorial May you live in interesting times- so goes an allegedly traditional Chinese curse. One might wonder why it is considered a curse when clearly it seems like a wish for positive tidings. Apparently it is only overtly an expression of good-will even as its unexpressed intention is, if not diabolic, at least not as harmless as might appear. The expression is normally used ironically and while seemingly a blessing, its hidden message is that life is better in "uninteresting times" of peace and tranquility than in "interesting" ones, which are usually times of trouble. Siddhartha, Milind Wani
Pluralities, Faith, Social Action The contributions to this dossier try to address the challenges facing us in, well, plural ways. The crisis is multi-pronged- at once economic, social, cultural, political, ecological and spiritual. Individual authors have offered their own distinctive lens for the reader.
The Hinduism paradox Essay However, Hinduism also offers hope. It is imbued with features that make room for positive change and growth. Subsummation, the very feature that was (wrongly) used to undermine and absorb other cultures, is also Hinduism’s strength and herein lies Hinduism’s greatest paradox. Urmi Chanda
Let go… Story 'You could be an ostrich at this moment. Standing in the queer pride parade two years ago, in solidarity with friends, could you have thought of this moment? You lean back against the wall, shut your eyes, and think of the many hers you know, but all that you see are the cops who had lined the road that day, not intruding but ready.' Sucharita Dutta-Asane
Utopia and climate civil disobedience Essay Never before in human history have we faced such a dire crisis, where human beings and much of our bio-diversity are threatened with extinction: the sixth extinction. Clearly, there are distressing signs in this direction. But all is not lost. We humans can rise to the challenge, change our life-styles and patterns of production, pressure our governments, and where necessary, mobilize mass civil disobedience and non-cooperation movements of an entirely non-violent nature. Siddhartha
De-storying/ Re-storying Essay A glance at global history reveals that periodic attempts to diminish and contain this complexity of stories in the name of various causes have been a running refrain. This is particularly evident to those who are or have been at the receiving end of stories -other peoples’ stories, while their own remain muted. Dr. Maya Joshi
Unity at the end of false beliefs Essay We cannot any longer afford to live under the illusion that we alone possess the only true perspective of the world and that this can just be handed over in readymade form to the others. For a genuine unity-in-difference to take place, it is necessary to establish a mode of conversation between diverse transformative movements from below that can allow for changing ourselves while changing society. Kalle Blomberg, Milind Wani
Plurality in the Context of Indian Folk Culture and Marginalized Traditions Essay Now, when we are faced with a climate crisis, we are struggling to find a sense of relatedness that includes difference and diversity. Unity is not something that can be imposed rationally. A human world-view tries to impose an order on the natural environment, which like artificial intelligence, follows the working of the human mind. Jyoti Sahi
